Attleboro elementary school teacher arrested for allegedly slapping 2 students with autism

ATTLEBORO, Mass. — An Attleboro elementary school teacher is facing charges after allegedly assaulting two students with autism.

According to Attleboro police, on Tuesday, November 26, around 4:44 p.m. officers were contacted by a school administrator from the Thacher Elementary School reporting a staff member allegedly assaulting multiple students.

Police said their initial investigation revealed that multiple staff members witnessed 57-year-old Susan Martin, a licensed special education classroom teacher, physically assaulting students on at least two separate occasions that day.

One 5-year-old student was reportedly slapped in the face by Martin around 11:55 a.m. and another 5-year-old student was reportedly pushed and slapped by Martin around 1 p.m.. Police say both victims are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Both incidents were witnessed by several other staff members and occurred in a classroom setting.

Investigators say they learned that the first incident was reported to school administrators between 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., approximately three hours prior to being reported to the police. The second incident then came to light after school administrators began speaking with other staff members after the first incident was reported.

Police say that school administrators had asked Martin to leave the school after being placed on administrative leave several hours prior to reporting the incident to the police.

“The District continues to support the affected students and their families during this difficult time,” said Attleboro Public Schools Superintendent David Sawyer.

Police were able to obtain an arrest warrant and charge Martin on two counts of assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability. Investigators learned that Martin was on a planned vacation to Florida so she was unable to be immediately arrested.

Martin was taken into custody at her home in Kingston on Monday, December 9.

“The allegations represent a profound betrayal of the trust our community places in educators and the values we hold dear as a public school district,” Sawyer said. “I would like to reiterate that the safety and well-being of our students are our highest priorities. We have taken this situation very seriously since it was brought to our attention, and we are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners in their ongoing investigation,” he added.

Martin is scheduled to be arraigned in Attleboro District Court on Monday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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